absinthe

reserved for a special occasion as i have read many positive reviews about the place and the food. i was not disappointed.
first, their cocktails and drinks are nicely made
second, the food choices are just amazing. we had a choice between a 5-course meal (to share) and a 3-course meal that included the steak/frites that everyone seems to be raving about.

i ordered mysteakrare and it was just that - rare. it is very hard to get the perfect temperature and mine had been cooked at exactly that. it only shows the level of attention to detail that the kitchen has.

i finished the meal with their famous creme brulee which was just heaven.

i highly recommend absinthe, for a special occasion, a romantic supper, or just a good and cozy reunion.

i would definitely go back!

wow...what an evening. my wife and i went to absinthe last night for our anniversary, and our first date night since our daughter was born. the first thing i would like to say is that the staff were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable.

with respect to the food,......"wow"!!!!! we each did the make your own table d'hote and what an experience, from the chacuterie and beef tartar starters, to thesteakfrits and steelhead trout mains, the food was exquisite :)

thank you for making our anniversary evening such a memorable one.

double check your food. i was recently back to absinthe for lunch with a friend because the first time i went i loved it so i wanted to let her try it as well. she ordered the burger and i ordered the tacos. the food was good. however, neither of us could finish our food. i had only ate one of the two tacos and some fries. the plate had the salad and the second taco untouched and some fries left. my friend couldn't finish her burger. we both asked the waiter to pack it to go. my friend had checked her take out box to make sure she had the right one (in case it was mixed up). i didn't bother checking mine because i trusted the waiter as he provided very good service. however, when i got home, i realize the only thing the waiter packed for me was the taco. the salad and fries were not packed and probably thrown out. it was irritating because 1. i had paid for the food and couldn't finish it and expected all of it to be packed away but i only received one out of the 2.5 items unfinished. 2. the food must have been thrown out which is such a waste. it was ridiculous. i feel like if i ever go back and need to take the food to go, i would need to double check it. very disappointing!


-----27 jan, 2013-----

excellent service and food. i took my boyfriend there for his birthday and we both loved it! i had order thesteakwhile he ordered the duck. they were both very good. the service was def. awesome as it was his birthday, the waiter gave him a complimentary dessert that said happy birthday. def. recommend it

friday night, my girlfriend and i went to absinthe for dinner. we were not able to celebrate valentines day on the thursday because of work but i wanted to do something special. she had mentioned absinthe before and i checked out their website and read reviews. they did not disappoint! unbelievable food. phenomenal service and absolutely amazing atmosphere. our server was fantastic. they were quite busy, but he never forgot about us and always took a second to check in to see how we were doing. the food was incredible. we both had the absinthesteakfrites and arugula salad. both items were excellent. the chef at absinthe actually knows how to properly cook asteakmedium rare, which is rare, no pun intended. the arugula salad was one of the best salads i've ever had! then there was the desert. absolutely amazing. we had the desert sampler and wow. if you're thinking of checking out absinthe, don't hesitate. by far one of, if not the best dinning experiences i've ever had.

thanks absinthe for making our valentines day great!

one of our favourite restaurants.  the menu isn't extensive but covers all the key areas (vegetarian, beef, fish, pork, pasta...) and seems to change regularly. the food is always amazing - the flavours, presentation, combinations.  we usually get the 3 course meal combo with wine pairing ($45 - $55 for 3 courses plus $40 for 3 wine selections.)  the service is excellent - friendly and efficient (no trying to get a waiter's attention.)  decor is pleasant, perhaps the only slight downside is it can be noisy when busy and the tables are fairly close together.  definitely need to book on popular nights. last night we both hadsteakfrites, i had an amazing tuna salad (one of the best appetizers i've had in a long time!) and butternut squash soup first and my wife had a beet salad and an arugula salad.  with a cocktail before and a dessert after for both of us the bill was a little over $200 for 2.

good not great place, that was just missing a few things to make it a top-notch experience. i definitely feel like this place has potential, so i'll start with the good. a small menu with quality items that they do well. my cocktail was fantastic with great presentation! their cheese selections were to die for and probably my favourite part. it was my birthday and they brought me creme brûlée which i loved!!! however, the ambience was pretty lacklustre and i was a little disappointed in the wine selection. we ended up going with a bottle that was fine, but not sure if it was worth 75$. my duck was great, but my brotherssteakcame with two very visible hairs right on top and the server offered to re-plate it. he declined and just re-plated it himself by taking the hair off. all in all, it's a good place but with so many other restaurants in the area it wouldn't be the first place i'd recommend.

a totally wonderful experience! charming and classy decore, the friendliest and most accommodating service and the food!! most definitely the tastiest in ottawa or maybe on this planet! we took the seafood appetizer which was delicate, yet overflowed with mouth-watering flavours..the mushroom soup was robust and so creamy..mysteakwith horseradish was beyond divine..my son and his wife took the pork cheek and the duck; both were raving how tender and delicious it was. in all honesty, we spent most of our eating time with our eyes closed, revelling in those sublime tastes...the creme brule that was offered at the end of this birthday dinner was simply perfect; delicate, creamy and crunchy and not too sweet. even foccacia served at the beginning of the meal, dipped in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar was outstanding. unquestionably, this dinner experience topped the many high end meals we have had in various countries. we will most definitely be returning there as often as we can! most highly recommended!! ; )

my wife and i went here for the first time on our anniversary. cozy atmosphere, yet open and loud. if you are looking for a quiet place to eat, this is not it. that said, the place was buzzing and was full of energy which we liked. complimentary glass of champagne given to us for our anniversary.  we both had the steak, and it was better than steaks we've had at more expensive "steak houses". i like how they tell you it will be medium rare, which is how a goodsteakshould be. our server was pleasant, yet at times seamed like a robot. her focus never really seamed to be on us, but more on what task she had to move to next. she would mumble something to us, while not making eye contact and scanning her surroundings. not a bad thing, but a server should be more interactive with their table.

overall, we were very pleased with our evening.

great experience! we went to celebrate our son's engagement and are happy we chose this place. we were greeted with complementary champagne. each starter was terrific and the quail egg on thesteaktartar was a very nice touch. the mains were even better. the duck was perfectly prepared. the braised rabbit ravioli is highly recommended. the sampler dessert was an excellent way to try several types of desserts. the service was impecable: polite, very knowledgable, and timely. there was never an empty glass and it was nice to get fresh cutlery with every course. we ordered absinthe to end the meal and it was nicely presented with clear, unpretentious instructions on how to let the water drip to dissolve the sugar cube on the slotted spoon. definitely a "go-to" place if you want to impress someone!

just love this place.  have been multiple times and will return again.  the fresh bread is outstanding, the lemon thyme dressing on the salad is wonderfully light and tangy, thesteakfrites mouthwatering.  service is top notch, the venue is perfect for friends, couples, even business dinners

stopped in for lunch and were told to try thesteakand frites. the food was great and the portions were just right. service was very good and friendly.will be returning for sure.

very average and super over priced. this restaurant seems to think they are gourmet and charge as if they are...but they are definitely not. portions are very small, flanksteakwas overcooked, salad was salty, fries are good, but the poutine is a major let down. burger was ok but terrible at $24. the desert was disappointing and it's priced at a premium but served at corner store quality. overall very expensive, menu is uninspiring, save your money there are much better places to eat in ottawa.

great atmosphere, fantastic salad,steakfrites done to perfection. the server, mike-professional, personable and attentive. we have been there a number of times and will continue to go back.

absinthe makes the heart grow fondue! :) that's why it was the perfect spot for our valentine's day dinner on monday. thanks for a fabulous yet relaxed dining experience! the salad greens with lemon thyme dressing and sunflower seeds were spectacular, and thesteakfrites was delicious. wonderful service and a nice neighbourhood atmosphere. we'll definitely go back.

ho this is a wow restaurant the food was so good and tasty and i say very tasty from the porc to thesteakand the famous burger/poutine. the appetizer again very good the charcuterie was excellent . ok for desert i had the cheese plate and again well presented so was the sugar pie and the profiteroles . not often i give a high rating they deserve it and thank you mike for the excellent service

highly recommend